Douluo Continent: An Adventure Begins in Wuhun City

"What, you want to take action? You can try it and see if your little gadgets are of any use to me."

Zhu Zhuqing raised her eyebrows slightly, glanced at Tang San's fingers, and then a thin veil of black smoke rose around her. Enveloped in the smoke, her martial soul had already possessed her, and a chilling dark aura swept out, instantly dispersing the combined aura of Tang San and Zhu Zhuqing.

Having challenged Zhao Wuji with these people before, she had naturally witnessed Tang San's somewhat extraordinary hidden weapons.

However, although I was somewhat surprised, that was all.

Although hidden weapons are powerful, their strength lies in their concealment and surprise, and they also have great limitations on the target. If one is prepared in advance, Tang San's hidden weapons will not be able to have any effect on a Soul Master of the Agility-type.

Meanwhile, Ning Rongrong was not idle either. The colorful Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda appeared in Ning Rongrong's hands amidst a mysterious glimmer, adding a touch of brilliance and radiance to the dark night.

But beneath this beauty lies an extremely terrifying murderous intent!

Putting aside Ning Rongrong's physique and strength, which are completely beyond the norm, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's renowned support abilities alone put immense pressure on Tang San and his companion.

Faced with the oppressive aura emanating from Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu, Tang San and Xiao Wu's expressions changed drastically, becoming extremely grim.

Seeing that Tang San and his companion were now in an extremely difficult situation, Flander could no longer pretend not to see it.

Although Tang San's words displeased him, he could not stand idly by and watch the infighting among the students happen right under his nose.

Anyway, these two are Yu Xiaogang's people. He had already asked Yu Xiaogang for help because he couldn't handle Ning Rongrong. He might as well wait for Yu Xiaogang to arrive and let him handle these things himself. He can observe them secretly. If Tang San and the other two are really too incompetent, then he doesn't need to make them deeply bound to Shrek Academy.

After all, although it was a small workshop, he had poured his heart and soul into it.

"Alright, since you're all so motivated, put your energy into the Soul Arena later."

As he spoke, Flander raised his hand and waved it, unleashing a surge of immense soul power that crushed the opposing soul powers apart.

Because their soul power was impacted, the martial soul forms of the group dissipated uncontrollably, and the conflict ended in a disappointing way.

Tang San and his companion breathed a sigh of relief; they had truly been caught in a dilemma.

Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong frowned slightly, but said nothing. They simply looked at Tang San and Ning Rongrong with a threatening gaze, issuing a warning.

"Be careful what you say in the future. Sometimes, your casual remarks need to be backed by sufficient strength."

After saying that, Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong turned around, left the group, and walked towards the Soul Arena on their own.

Flander gave Tang San and his companion a meaningful look, said nothing, and turned to leave.

The other three supporting characters exchanged glances subconsciously, but did not step forward to comfort Tang San and Xiao Wu, fearing they would be labeled as colluding with an ingrate. They quickly followed Flander without looking back.

Only Tang San and Xiao Wu remained in the same spot.

Xiao Wu could only helplessly stomp her feet and curse as she vented her anger.

Tang San stared intently at Zhu Zhuqing's departing figure, his eyes bloodshot, filled with hatred and resentment. His hand, which was carrying a hidden weapon, clenched tightly and trembled. A hoarse voice burst from between his teeth.

"It won't end so easily! You've insulted me and the little dancer; you deserve to die!"

At the same time, on the rooftop not far away, a pair of dark, weathered eyes also took in this entire scene.

Its owner was none other than Tang San's missing father, Tang Hao.

His face was as if carved by a knife and axe, quite rugged, and with the passage of time, it had become even more profound.

He was also tall and strong, with a tattered black robe draped over his body, fluttering and rustling in the wind, giving him a unique air about him. No wonder he had captivated the Green Ape so much that he was completely disoriented.

Judging from his gloomy expression, he had clearly heard Zhu Zhuqing and the other person's insults and threats against Tang San, which stirred up a strong desire to kill in his heart.

I had an urge to jump down and strangle those two ignorant girls.

But in the end, he held back.

It's not because I care about bullying the weak.

He had already completely lost his moral compass back when he was oppressed and exploited by the Green Ape.

However, when he was about to make a move, a strong sense of crisis arose in his heart. This intuition, combined with the relationship between the two parties and the Spirit Hall, ultimately made Tang Hao hesitate and dare not act rashly.

Although he resented the Spirit Hall, he was also aware of its terrifying power, which was beyond his ability to resist on his own. Now, he placed his hopes for revenge on Tang San, and all he had to do was protect him and help him grow up safely, rather than cause unnecessary trouble.

"call!"

He let out a long breath, as if trying to expel the pent-up frustration in his chest. He then took one last deep look at the chaotic academy formation before his figure vanished into the dark night sky like a ghost.

The north wind howled, and snowflakes fluttered down. Chen Yao, dressed only in a thin white robe, stood in the middle of the valley, gazing at the silver-clad northern landscape before him, and said with some surprise.

"I never imagined that the Demon Dragon Palace was hiding here."

Although it was surprising, upon reflection, it made perfect sense.

After all, the northern border is barren and suffers from harsh cold, and is not valued by people. It is the place where the continent's power is weakest. It is reasonable for the Demon Dragon Palace to hide its headquarters here.

"Indeed, and before the Demon Dragon Palace existed, this place was also a hiding place for the high-ranking members of those evil soul masters. This forgotten place has become their paradise. Who knows how much bloodshed and evil is buried beneath this frost and snow?"

At this moment, Liu Erlong, who was standing to the side, also nodded, his feelings mixed with a hint of resentment.

"Hehe, Dean Liu, there's no need to blame yourself. Those evil spirit masters are cunning and wicked by nature. They deceived you with their clever words back then, which led to the current hidden dangers on the mainland. It's not entirely your fault."

Ning Fengzhi, the sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, one of the few who knew Liu Erlong's background, stood on the flying sword of the Sword Douluo and comforted Liu Erlong with a smile.

But it's precisely because Liu Erlong possesses her current strength and has a close relationship with Chen Yao that, otherwise, no matter how much Liu Erlong regrets her actions or how irreconcilable she is with the Demon Dragon Palace, once the identity of the former master of the Demon Dragon Palace is revealed, she would be directly eliminated to uphold justice.

Liu Erlong was aware of this, so he only nodded absentmindedly at Ning Fengzhi's words of comfort before quickening his pace, wanting to reach his destination as soon as possible and end the mistake he had made.

The allied forces behind them hurriedly followed.

However, after advancing a while, she turned her gaze down below the clouds to the Soul Master Alliance that had already entered the territory of the Demon Dragon Palace, and her brows furrowed slightly.

"Erlong, what's wrong?"

Seeing Liu Erlong pause, Yu Yuanzhen subconsciously asked.

"Something's not quite right."

Upon hearing Liu Erlong's words, the people nearby were immediately taken aback.

"What's wrong?"

Liu Erlong immediately pointed to the advancing Soul Masters below and said.

“We have already entered the territory of the Demon Dragon Palace. This is their territory. With the evil soul masters' ruthless methods, how could they possibly let the allied forces in so easily?”

Ning Fengzhi frowned upon hearing this.

"After all, this operation wasn't carried out quietly. Could it be that after they learned of it, they've already gathered their forces and assembled them at their headquarters, planning a counterattack?"

However, Liu Erlong shook his head.

"If it were a normal force, it might be possible to make such a decision, but the Demon Dragon Palace cannot be judged by common sense. Their cruelty and vindictiveness are well-known."

If they had been prepared, they definitely wouldn't have let the allied forces pass so easily. They would have surely set up some dangerous traps first, making the allied forces pay a heavy price. At least, I know of some evil soul masters with special martial souls who could do that.

The allied forces below were mostly troops from the two great empires. Because of Chen Yao's plan, Liu Erlong hadn't specifically reminded others of this point before, but their safety at this moment made Liu Erlong realize something was amiss.

Fortunately, those standing beside Liu Erlong at this moment were all on Chen Yao's side. Otherwise, if the soul masters of the two great empires had heard Liu Erlong's words, they might have immediately questioned her.

"Alright, it's normal for the Demon Dragon Palace to make some plans, regardless of their unwillingness to surrender. We'll deal with whatever comes our way. No matter how much planning we have, it's useless in the face of overwhelming strength."

Chen Yao spoke up, causing the suspicious Liu Erlong to temporarily stop thinking and nod in agreement.

“Indeed. Let’s get going. The center of the Demon Dragon Palace’s power is a city called Demon Dragon City. Not only are there a group of high-ranking evil soul masters there, but also the most elite and ruthless evil soul masters. Whatever their plans are, the truth will come out once we get there!”

Upon hearing this, none of them had any objections. Since the elite soul masters of the two great empires were leading the way, they were not afraid of being ambushed. So they followed Liu Erlong's direction and sped away.

Soon, the outline of an extremely vast building appeared in the white snow and mist. The chilling aura that could be felt even from a distance made everyone's hearts tremble, realizing that they had arrived at their destination: Demon Dragon City!

However, they all slowed down their flight speed without prior agreement. The reason was simple: based on Liu Erlong's description, the nature of the evil soul masters was likely to launch an ambush when they entered the city, triggering some kind of extremely deadly trap. Although they were all confident in their own strength, with a vanguard team, they wouldn't be idle enough to step on a trap for fun.

As the allied forces drew closer, the city, with its extremely distorted buildings, dark hues, and eerie, terrifying appearance, was clearly revealed to everyone.

"Hmph! They truly are a group of inherently evil people, so brazenly and recklessly taking this inhuman path!"

Yu Yuanzhen could now clearly see the scene inside the city. On each of those eerie and unsettling buildings, there were actually mummified corpses hanging openly. And that wasn't all; even the main thoroughfare in the heart of the city was completely paved with skeletons.

Such an inhumane scene ignited an uncontrollable rage in Yu Yuanzhen, who had once been the leader of a powerful force and whose sense of right and wrong was somewhat blurred. His eyes flashed with a chilling killing intent!

"Humph!"

At this moment, seeing this scene, some images that Liu Erlong did not want to recall flashed through his mind. A look of regret and helplessness flashed in his eyes, but then it was replaced by anger and hatred. He snorted coldly.

Even Chen Yao, who considered himself to be utterly wicked, couldn't help but shake his head upon seeing this scene.

Although he was ruthless and cruel in his actions, his killings were mostly driven by self-interest and by cause and effect. Unlike these people, he did not regard slaughtering living beings as a form of boasting or honor, nor did he simply take pleasure in killing.

Compared to these people, Chen Yao felt that he was not so heinous as to be considered a villain, at most just someone who acted in an extreme way.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 245 The Ice Palace in the Far North

The people standing on the rooftop watched in silence as the imperial allied forces entered the Demon Dragon City below. But after waiting for a while, the expected trap explosion did not occur, and the eerie silence remained as before.

Upon seeing this, Chen Yao's expression suddenly changed, as if he had thought of something. Without creating a clone, he instantly rushed into the city and arrived in front of the tallest, dark building. His soul power surged from his body, causing the world to change drastically. Amidst the churning dark clouds, a giant palm descended from above, instantly blowing away the nearly 100-meter-tall building.

As he expected, apart from some scattered remains of corpses that had been used as materials, there was no one else inside. The members of the Demon Dragon Palace had actually run away first!

At this moment, Liu Erlong and the others behind him also rushed over. Looking at this empty ruin, their expressions all became somewhat strange.

"That's strange. Doesn't the Demon Dragon Palace boast that it can rival the Spirit Hall? And to avoid alerting them, the Pope didn't even make a move, only sending a few ordinary Title Douluos. Why did they suddenly decide to abandon their long-established stronghold? Could it be that they already know of your existence, Lord Chen Yao?"

Yu Yuanzhen said in disbelief, "In the eyes of someone who was once the head of a major power, unless one is truly in dire straits, it is impossible to abandon the place that has been passed down through generations."

He couldn't understand why the Demon Dragon Palace would flee without a fight.

Meanwhile, Liu Erlong, who was standing to the side, seemed to have thought of something. He slapped his forehead in annoyance and said something.

"I forgot that these evil soul masters are all selfish and self-serving. Even if they unite to form a large force, they are full of scheming against each other. Three people can even be divided into five small groups. And because they have been in the dark for a long time, they are all cautious."

Even if they believe they can contend with the Spirit Hall, they will not engage in direct conflict with us unless they are absolutely certain of success; their primary concern is self-preservation.

Since they were already homeless and nomadic, abandoning this camp, which had only been established for a few years, was nothing to them.

After hearing Liu Erlong's explanation, everyone's expressions turned somewhat ugly. If that were the case, wouldn't their mobilization of such a large force have become a joke?

However, just as a dark cloud was hanging over everyone's hearts, Liu Erlong suddenly descended from the sky and came to the ruins. He observed the corpses mixed in with the rubble and then said in a deep voice.

"These bodies are still relatively fresh; they shouldn't have gone very far."

The group landed at that moment, and Ning Fengzhi frowned slightly upon hearing Liu Erlong's words.

"But if the Spirit Hall was going to take action against the Demon Dragon Hall, they should have already been monitoring this city. Logically speaking, we shouldn't have missed the news of the Demon Dragon Hall's large-scale relocation."

Upon hearing this, Liu Erlong nodded and sighed softly.